Windrower



May 22, '1934. R. c. LxvEsAY t l`,959,432

lil

Patented May 22, `1934i UNITED STATES WINDROWER Robert C. Livesay,Moline, Ill., assignor to Deere & Company, Moline, Ill., a corporationof Illinois Application June 26, 1933, Serial No. 677,541

6 Claims. (Cl. 56-23) This invention relates to Windrowers in generaland more particularly to windrowers of the type comprising a platformhaving a discharge opening therein and having a cutting mechanismdisposed along the front of the platform and in advance of the opening,and a conveyor for receiving the cut grain and discharging it into theopening to lay it in the form of a windrow on standing stubble.

The main object of this invention is to provide a device to beassociated with this type of windrower which will expedite the operationof opening up a eld. In opening up a field it is usual to lfirst cut theback swath which is that swath along the outer edge of the field andusually adjacent a fence. In cutting this back swath with a windrower inwhich the delivery opening is on the left hand side of the platform,thev windrower is driven in a counter-clockwise direction, to form awindrow spaced as far as possible away from the fence. After this backswath windrow has been laid, the windrower is driven. in a clockwisedirection around the eld so as to cause the windrower to deposit thegrain of the second swath in windrow formation on top of the back swathwindrow. In order to prevent that portion of the cutting mechanismdisposed in' front of the discharge opening in the platform from runningthrough the back swath windrow and scattering it, it has been proposedto provide a windrow compressor on the platform in front of thedischarge opening which will compress the back swath windrow down belowthe level of the cutting mechanism to enable the cutting mechanism ofthe windrower to pass over it. In laying a windrow, however, it ishighly desirable that it be laid on top of the standing stubble and bemaintained in as loose condition as possible so that air cancirculatefreely through and beneath it. With the windrow held some distance abovethe ground by stubble standing erect, the operation of picking up thewindrow by the pick-up attachment on the combination harvester-thresheris facilitated. The use of the compressor has the decided disadvantagethat it forces the back swath windrow down into the standing stubble andclose to the ground and also compresses it, resulting in a windrow whichis difficult to pick up and'also one through which air cannot circulatefreely.. According to my invention, instead of compressing the backswath windrow I provide a windrow lifter for elevating the back swathwindrow over Athe cutting mechanism and depositing it through thedischarge opening together with the cut grain of the second swath. As aresult of this method, the double windrow so formed is maintained in afluiy state and laid on top of the standing stubble above the ground asis desired for proper aeration and for facilitating the operation ofpicking up the windrow by the pick-up mechanism of theharvester-thresher.

To facilitate lifting and guiding the back swath windrow into thedischarge opening in the platform, especially in heavy grain, I preferto cut the back swath at an elevation somewhat higher than the height atwhich the second swath is cut. This positions the back swath windrowheld by the stubble upon which it is laid at an elevation higher thanthe height at which the platform is positioned in cutting the secondswath. In this case the windrow lifter guides the back swath windrowover the cutting mechanism and into the discharge opening without havingto lift it appreciably. Y

The objects of my invention, therefore, are: to introduce a new methodof opening up a eld with a windrower having a discharge opening in wtheplatformthereof, which consists in cutting a back swath around the fieldin one direction v and then'cutting a second swath around the eld in theopposite'direction, and at the Sametime, picking up the back swathwindrow above the cutting mechanism and depositing it into the dischargeopening in the platform of the windrower together with the cut grain ofthe second swath being deposited therein; to introduce the method ofopening up a eld with a windrower having a discharge opening in theplatform thereof, which consists incutting a back swath around the eldin one direction at one elevation and then cutting a second swath aroundthe eld in the opposite direction at an elevation somewhat lower thanthe elevation at which the back swath was cut, and at the same time,guiding the back swath windrow over the cutting mechanism and depositingit into the discharge opening in the platform of the windrower togetherwith the cut grain of the second swath being deposited therein; and toprovide a windrower having a discharge opening in the platform thereofwith the cutting mechanism of the windrower disposed in advance of theopening and having a windrow lifter on the platform in advance of thecutting mechanism and in line with the discharge opening in theplatform.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is described in the followingspecification in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:Figure 1 is a top View of a windrower equipped Figures 3 and 4 arediagrammatic views of the' field illustrating the operation and useofr=my improved windrower in opening up a field.

The windrower illustrated comprisesplatform carried by awheel.fSuppor-ted.f-rame 11. Platform 1G comprisesa:pairaof-:transverselyfeX- tending longitudinally spaced frame members12 and 13 connected by means of a plurality of longitudinally extendingmembers 14. I"Af-cutting mechanism 15 is disposed along the forward edgeof the platform and comprises a series of l |guard fingers 16 fixed'toitheframenmember. 12

- nism' inl front of Ithe discharge.: openinglg fallsv directly: intolthe-discharge..opening. 51A: reel. 20`

y*of the usual construction fis. alsov supported on Ythe vplatform uponZthe forward ends of forwardlyiexl--tendingarms 2l supported..frorn1..the:;windiboard 22 extending' fromthe. rear ofthelplatform.Reel 20 functions in thezusualf manner to'direct lr'the grain againstthe cutting .mechanismf'15 and vmove .'the cut grainiuponi the. conveyor18. A Yseriesof downwardly-.inclined 'rodsr23 4are dis- Aposed VA-in`itheldischarge opening .19 i being f supported at their forward: endsfrom fthe front frame member 12. IThese rods function; to. prevent the lgrainbeing deposited inftheldischarge fopening `I-'19" fi-om crushingdownland fallingithrough the vstanding stubble.fAsnarresult,f.the"windrow is caused -to be laid-on" top of? thefstanding stubble `vwith the stubble fin amorev or fless. erectposition.The platform 10 is supported from .the E.main

' framefof the1windrow11byrmeans of anurnber offorwa-rd-ly *extending farms":25` to the -forward `"ne'cted. The-rear ends-ofarmsf25-aregpivota1ly connected at 263to supportingfmembers' car- I`ried1 -byl the 'transverse pipe member S28. The *windrower isfdrawn througha"draft"beam 33 connected at lits' -rear end? to the .'pipe. member 28and bracedthereto' by-means of 'diagonalbrace' 34. The frontend-fbffdraft" beam -33 -may be either supporte'ddirectly on' thetractor by which the windrower'is'drawn or it may be supported von asteering truck having a `tongueconnected to the tractor. The rear .endofifthexmain frame 11 is supported on a pair of wheels'and 36 jour-.,.naledjonoppositeends of pipe member 28. The platform 10..may.beadjusted verticallyv to cut grainfatdi'iferent levels, depending on theheight l of grain, by means of an adjusting mechanism `4.0.`.`This.mechanismincludes' lever'41 pivotally mounted son thevdraft beaml 33 and. link-connected tothe `forward endofinneriarm 25-of theplatform 10 by means of link 42. 'Operating lever 40 will swing theplatform 10 about pivots 26 to raise or lower the same.

The mechanisms of the windrower including the cutting mechanism 15,conveyor 18 and reel 2) may be operated from a power take-off connecticnwith the tractor pulling the windrower or sfromfpowertder-ived from thesupporting wheel 136. Inasmuch astheinvention isnot concerned with theconstruction of the windrower itself or the manner in which it isoperated, the structure cof the windrower and the driving connections tothe mechanisms have not been shown For a de- "staild description anddisclosure of a similar A*.windrower; referencemay be had to mycopendsingaapplicaticn':Serial No. 592,388, filed February 'Wy inventionconsists in providing a windrow "ifter'on" the'platform in front of thedischarge openingaand in advance of the cutting mechanism for lifting awindrow previously'laid over the cuttingvv jmechanismI v and :depositing-itflinto "the'ldischarge'opening. YM`-While variousA forrnsvofliftingide'vices -rnight -be employed,4 Impr'efer tozuse af fplurality:of "lifting-1 members 45. These ninem- #bers are supported f-romthe"l`fronti frame mem-v 10( =berl2 of` the platform -by'f means of`forwardly Y extendingsupportsf 2lbolted to the `frame 'mem- Eber r12,preferably bythe same Avbolts that-connect the guard lingers 16 to theframe rmember'12.

*forward end lthereof to'ernbrace the itip fof-1a guard 4nger 116.Lifting-rmembersfil -are pi-votdto f the frontV end ofsupports 46 at- 48in' orderithat lthey mayfollow''theV unevenness of'the ground-suface-'when cuttingshort grain and the cutting 11( A-'mechanism' isbeing operated ata relatively low devel. Lifting members are more orless pointed-at their front ends-and have a rearward- `ly-'- extendingvliftingl vbar 49 extendingf fromv `the fltip of 'the member-45upwardly-land rearwardly" 115 above:v Ithe guard f`fingers 16. Infoperation," the '---forward-"ends'of the lifting members 45'1projectinto'the stubble below the-windrow' tof be lifted. "The liftingbars-49fthereof in thefforwardf-ad- *Vance `of 'the-machine runalongthe`- bottom of '12( fthe-windrow andlift Vythe wiridrowaboveL thecutting -mechanism 15 f and -then deposit v'iti =into therdisci-largeopening 19.

4'50 willfbe entered through gate'51,*for example,as"`l2.

shown in-Figl, theimachine first taking the back `swath along thev fenceby traveling in a' counter- V`clockwiseic'iirection indicated by thearrowadjacent themachine diagrammatically'shown'l iat/152.

fDuring this operation, the'back swathwindrowl *53 is laidfl adjacent'the' wall-54 of standing grain. LAfter thel machineV has been drivenall around `theteld, Iit lis turned-around lto cause '-it to vtravel"inea clockwise direction to cut the second swath.

*In cutting the second swath, the -ma'chine 52'v is* 4'disposed-so' thatthe discharge openingA- thereof `vwill -bedirectly lin'line'with theback swath wind- 1ow53, as shown in Figure 4. The windrow'lift-Eingfdevice' now functions to li-ft the windrow 53 .'.in'the samedirection as the second round buty in suchcase, of course, onlya singlewindrow is laid.y

"Preferablytheba'ck swath is cut atan eleva- '.'tion..a fewincheshigherfthan the elevation atp.

which the second swath is cut. The longer stub-"l ble of the back swaththereby supports the back swath windrow at an elevation above the heightat which the platform is operated in cuttingA the second swath. As aresult, when cutting the second swath, the windrow lifter merelyfunctions to guide the back swath windrow over the cutting mechanism ofthe platform and into the discharge opening without having to lift itappreciably. In the illustration in Fig. 2 of the operation this lattermethod is being followed. The back swath has been cut at an elevation aand the second swath is being cut at an elevation b. This operation, ofcourse, is optional, and if desired both the back swath and the secondswath may be cut at the same elevation. The windrow lifter is adapted tolift the windrow over the cutting mechanism of the harvester even thoughit lay at the same elevation as the height at which the second swath isbeing cut.

A particular feature of my invention is that there is no necessity ofthe operator ever removing the windrow lifting devices 45. They may beleft on the machine permanently, if desired. When no windrow it to belifted by them they merely travel through the standing grain. For thissame reason, the operator may place the lifting devices on the windrowerbefore he enters the field, if they are not already in place. In thisrespect my lifting devices have an additional advantage over the use ofthe compressor plate, since the compressor plate can only be on themachine when making the second round and must be removed from themachine at all other times. For this reason it is necessary for theoperator to carry the compressor plate with him, unattached from themachine, stop operation after cutting the back swath and attach thecompressor plate, and again stop operation after cutting the secondswath to remove the compressor plate before he can cut the succeedingswath. With the use of my device these two interruptions in thelharvesting operation are avoided.

Having described my invention, what I regard as new and wish to secureby Letters Patent is:-

1. In the process of harvesting grain with a windrower of the typehaving a harvesting platform comprising a laterally extending cuttingmechanism, a conveyor in rear of all but a portion of said cuttingmechanism, the space in rear of said portion of the cutting mechanismconstituting a discharge opening into which grain is delivered by saidconveyor, the method of opening up a field which consists in cutting aback swath around the field by operating the windrower in a direction tolay the back swath windrow adjacent the inner edge of the back swath,then cutting a second swath around the eld by operating the windrower inthe opposite direction with that portion of the cutting mechanism infront of the discharge opening being disposed in line with the backswath windrow previously laid, and picking up the back swath windrow andraising it above said cutting mechanism and depositing it into saiddischarge opening together with the grain being deposited into saiddischarge opening by said conveyor to form a double windrow during theoperation of cutting the second swath.

2. A windrower comprising a laterally extending cuttingmechanism, aconveyor in rear of said cutting mechanism and extending from the outerend of said cutting mechanism to near the inner end of said cuttingmechanism, the space beyond the inner end of said conveyor in rear ofthe inner end of said cutting mechanism forming a discharge opening intowhich grain is delivered by said conveyor to lay a windrow, and'meansdisposed forwardly of said cutting mechanism in front of said dischargeopening for lifting a previously laid windrow over said cuttingmechanism and depositing said previously laid windrow into saiddischarge opening together with the grain being deposited into saiddischarge opening by said conveyor to form a double windrow.

3. A windrower comprising a laterally extending cutting mechanism, aconveyor in rear of all but a portion of said cutting mechanism, thespace in rear of said portion of the cutting mechanism. constituting adischarge opening into which grain is delivered by said conveyor to laya windrow, and means extending forwardly from that portion of thecutting mechanism in front of said discharge opening for lifting apreviously laid windrow over said cutting mechanism and depositing saidpreviously laid windrow into said discharge opening together with thegrain being deposited into said discharge opening by said conveyor toform a double windrow.

4. In a windrower, a cutting mechanism, means for receiving cut grainand delivering it to a point of discharge rearwardly of the cuttingmechanism, and a windrow lifter in advance of said cutting mechanism inline with said point of discharge for lifting a previously laid windrowover the cutting mechanism and depositing it with the grain beingdelivered by said receiving and delivering means to form a doublewindrow.

5. In a windrower, a platform having an opening therein, a cuttingmechanism disposed in advance of the opening and along the front of theplatform, a conveyor receiving the cut grain and discharging it intosaid opening, and a windrow lifter on the platform in advance of thecutting mechanism and in line with the platform open- 6. In the processof harvesting grain with a windrower of the type having a harvestingplatform comprising a laterally extending cutting mechanism, a conveyorin rear of all but a portion of said cutting mechanism, the space in 125rear of said portion of the cutting mechanism oonstituting a dischargeopening into which grain is delivered by said conveyor, the method ofopening up a field which consists in cutting a back swath around thefield at one level by operating 130 the windrower in a direction to laythe back swath windrow adjacent the inner edge of the back swath, thencutting a second swath aroundthe field at a lower level by operating thewindrower in the opposite direction with that portion of 135 the cuttingmechanism in front of the discharge opening being disposed in line withthe back swath windrow previously laid, and guiding the back swathwindrow over the cutting mechanism and depositing it into said dischargeopening to- 140 gether with the grain being deposited into saiddischarge opening by said conveyor to form a double windrow during theoperation of cutting the second swath.

ROBERT C. LIvEsAY.

